Baby walker



P. CROSLEY, JR

/ March 6, 1928.

` BABY WALKER FilecNov. 20. 1922 Attorey.

and m'ore especially to such' devices as that- Patented Mar. 6,- 1928.

UNITED STATES V ,661-,41 PATE/NT OFFICE;

POWEL CROSLEY, JIE., OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSGNOR TO THE FRANK F. TAYLOB CO., OF NOBWOOD', OHIO, A COBPORATION OF OHIO.

' BABY WALKEB.

Application filed November 20, 1922. serial No. 60234 1.

My invention rela tes to improvements in devices for the care of very young children;

disclosed and claimed in the'patent to James I. Carroll, 1,492,202, Apr. 29, 1924, on which my invention is an improvement.

Its object, in common with that of the just mentioned prior invention, 'is to amuse the infant `while assisting it to learn to walk, enabling the infant to use its arms and legs freely and to be unhindered in near approach to objects, at the same time support,- ing the infant, preventing it from getting oti'` the deviceor overturning; and to accomplish this by a very inexpensive device. The especial object of my mprovement, over the prior invention, is to provide for travel of the infant freely in any direction, b a forward rolling support which will at t e same time insure stability of the device at the front, necessary for small infants as distinguished from vehicles for larger children. Other objects will appear in the course of the ensuing description;

I attain these object-s by the device illustrated, for example, 'in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in use, an infant seated thereon and supported thereby being indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal'vertical section of a the device, the body support being in elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the front part of the device with a substituted front rolling "support,

As I prefer to construct my invention, 'it

comprises a bed 1 of flat elongated sh'ape with a rear wide seat part 2 and a narrow front part 3, joined by smooth curves 4.

J The rear 'bolster 5 has its narrow top fixed to the bottom of the rear part of the bed 1 by suitable fastening means and curves down to thinner end parts 7;"the bottom being straight, and an axle 8 being Secured therealong with e'nd parts 9 projected past the respective ends of the bolster 5, on which rear wheels' 10 turn loosely. A brace 11 extends u to the bed 1 at the middle.

The oregoing details are similar 'to tlose of the prior application mentioned; as also is the body support, com'prising the rear post 1 2 and front post 13, having shanks'14 fit: tng in holes m the bed 1, and carrying, near transversely through the posts. I make the 'ear pos t wide, forming a better support for the nfant-s back. These posts are detachable from the bed, and told together on the ?mg 15, for packing, asin the prior applica- In my invention, the front bolster 16 resembles the rear bolster 5 in` having a narrow top, fixed to the bottom of the bed near the front end thereof, with a brace block 17 at ts rear, up against the bed. This front bolster 16 is of about the same lateral extent at both sides as is the rear bolster 5, and is curved similarly; but instead of an axle and wheels, it carries casters 18 on its bottom near its respective ends. Preferably, it is cut away at ts bottom throughout its middle part, leaving downwardly extending legs at the ends, on which the casters are mounted, with their stems up in holes bored in the bottoms of the legs. As these casters 18 can turn freely in any direction on the Vertical axes of their stems, as well as roll freely on` the floor or ground, they permitthe infant to guide itself in any direction by engagement of its feet with the floor or ound, as indicated in Fig. 1. At' the same tme, being located far out laterally, the casters 18 act to preventoverturning of the device in a diagonally forward direction at either side.

Such a precaution is necessary for the use the only encircling means, there is no hampering of the legs and arms, and no hindrance to close approach of the infant, with the device` to objects that may attract its atamusement than a device havin much laterally extended structure lower own, asin various baby-walkers heretofore disclosed. In these respects, my device is similar to that of the mentioned prior application. My improved front support provides against any 'fines the child to the device; yet as this is` I tention. This contributes better to the child s A tipping, as just mentioned, and avoid cotact of any non-rotary part with the floor or ground; in this respect being different from any device with outriggers auxiliary to a single front rolling support.

For use of the child after it is older, the front bolster 16 is detachable, as seen in Fig. 2, where the front part of the bed l has an opening 19 up through it, fitted by a plug 19' which opening, upon removal of the bolster 16 and plug 19', may receive the stem 20 of a single large roller or wheel 21 up through it, with the bed 1 restin on a shoulder of the wheel mounting 22. washer 23, held by a pin 24 through the stem 20, holds the mounting up in the bed l; and at its top the stern 20 has transverse handles 25 to be rasped by the child for guiding the device.

Vhen so used, by the older child, the body support is not needed for such child, and may be removed. The device thus is of especial utility for the very young infant; and its period of usefulness may be prolonged through a later period of the child s life, by the substitution of the hand-guide& means as just described.

Modifications may be made, either of the device as used for very youn children, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or of the substituted means for older children, as in Fig. 3. I have illustrated a design for the front bolster, with its widely laterallyspaced legs, which is very simple and economical; but this, as well as the other details, is subject to variation within the scope of my invention. Therefore I do not wish to be understood as being limited to the precise showing and description herein, but having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

1. In a baby-Walker, a seat structure, wheels on the rear of said structure, lateral casters on the front part of said structure, said casters being removable from said structure, and said structure having means ported as aforesaid, while permitting variable curvilinear travel of the structure.

2. In a baby-Walker, a seat structure, rear wheels on said structure, front rolling supporting means for said structure permitting variable curvilinear travel of the structure responsive to lateral pressure thereon. detachably connected to said structure, body supporting means detachably connected to said structure, and means on said structure whereby a hand-guided front rolling support may be substituted for the aforesaid frot supporting means.

3. In combination with a board formed as a saddle with a narrow forward portion to be straddled by the legs of the rider, rear wheels to support said board, and a caster mounting element Secured to the board and serving as a forward support, said elenent havin casters located thereon at points space widely to give a wide wheel base for the board, said caster mounting element being removably mounted to the board, the seat provided with a steering post hole for a single front steering wheel, said caster bar mounting element being independent of said single front steering wheel'.

4. In conbination with a board formed as a saddle with a narrow forward portion to be straddled by the legs of the rider, rear wheels to support said board, and a forward rolling support rigidlv but removably sccured to the board, said board having a hole near saidforward support, in which the steering post of a steering wheel may be rotatably mounted after removal of said rigidly Secured forward support.

' POWEL CROSLEY, JR. 

